After getting back on our bikes in Vancouver following Canadian Thanksgiving, avoiding the cold, wet weather of the Pacific Northwest was constantly on our minds. Though truly rainy days were few, we rode through temps in the mid-40s and 50s(F) for a few weeks in Washington and Oregon, always chasing the promise of warmer weather down south. Reserving rest days solely for when the weather demanded it, we settled into the habit of pushing longer mileage days. It was only until American Thanksgiving, south of San Francisco, that we realized we had finally arrived in the mystical land of year-round clear skies and warm weather. According to the locals, who all seemed to be bundled up in scarves and toques, it was quite cold this time of year – but to us it was a dream come true where we could ride in short sleeves once more!
Warm weather means... Zebras? Near San Simeon, CA.
We quickly remembered how to be comfortable taking rest days whenever it suited us, without fear of unexpectedly harsh weather on the following day. So when we arrived in San Luis Obispo we grabbed a hotel with the intentions of hanging out for a few days and getting to know the city. Conveniently, we arrived on a Thursday, and the city’s weekly farmer’s market was just getting started. We quickly saw that this was no ordinary farmer’s market – it was a shut-down-the-main-drag-bring-the-whole-family-party-into-the-evening type of market! All the local restaurants were cooking their food in stalls on the street alongside the farmers selling their fruits and veggies, there was a bouncy castle for the kids and even free valet bicycle parking. The market only got livelier as the kid’s bedtime came and went, after which we trucked it back to the hotel with sleeping children in tow. The following day we caught the Santa Clause parade (which featured a surprising amount of folks on decorated bicycles) and also got plenty of rest and relaxation back at our hotel.
